How Much Does It Cost to Keep a Boat on the Hudson River, New York?

I have a pocket dictionary I keep in the navigation desk of our 1978 Catalina 30 called Sailing: The Fine Art of Getting Wet and Becoming Sick, While Slowly Going No Where at a Great Expense. Even reading it now gives me a chuckle as deep down there is some truth there. But if it’s such a great expense, why do we continue to do this sailing thing? Simply, I believe the answer lies within that one “particular harbor.”  The freedom to go sailing where and when you want, finding a cove to set anchor, and harnessing wind to move is well, kind of cool. However, that one “particular harbor” has a cost.

If you are new to sailing or looking to change locations, finding a home for your boat is a large part of the boat budget, second to the actual purchase of the boat.  Additionally, finding a location is a reoccurring or annual cost and planning for this ahead of time is important to avoid any costly surprises (save the surprises for the maintenance issues).

When it comes to boat slips and winter storage, size matters and will drive costs. Boat length and beam coupled with boat draft could also determine what marinas or yacht clubs are feasible due to deepwater needs. The size of your boat could mean the difference between affordability and being underwater (your budget, not the boat hopefully).

HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK, N.Y.

The Hudson River is named after Henry Hudson who sailed up the river in 1609—boats and people have been sailing on the Hudson River for a very long time. The Hudson River is over 300 miles long, and at its southern end is adjacent to one of the most well-known cities in the world, New York City.

Salty and sweet. When you navigate north, away from the skyscrapers, bridges, commuter ferries, cruise ships and sailing charters, the Hudson River takes on a different characteristic. The river bends, widens, narrows and offers a backdrop of rolling mountains and small waterfront towns. The Hudson River is also unique in that it’s a tidal river. The lower part of the river (about 100 miles) is a tidal estuary which mixes salt water from the Atlantic Ocean and fresh water (brackish water). Fortunately, this type of water is a little kinder on the boat bottom with proper anti-fouling paint and anodes to protect the propeller (salt water is generally corrosive overtime).

Diverse scenery. To the north, the Hudson River allows boaters access to the New York State Canal system (Erie Canal) and at the southern end boaters have access to the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. Along the rivers’ edge you will find notable landmarks such as the United States Military Academy (West Point) and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). If you cruise early enough in the morning, you can smell eggs and bacon, as the CIA students cook breakfast for their fellow classmates. The Metro North train runs along its eastern shore and is a quick reminder of the hustle and bustle not too far off and how accessible points on the river can be. The freight train that runs along the western shore is a reminder how trains are still used to transport goods up and down the river. Commercial barges travel the river daily, which ensures a deep channel for us sailors as some of the shoreline areas can get shallow quickly.

Accessible (yet seasonal) sailing. Marinas and yacht clubs are nestled on either side of the river and clustered where the river is wide and along populated towns and villages. The Hudson River is within the Northeastern part of the U.S., which has seasonal temperatures. Although our sailing window seems to be longer now (well into October), the winters can be harsh—hauling out and giving it a home on the hard is also common and should factor into annual costs. Personally, I like the seasons as a winter haul out forces you to inspect the boat and take care of any necessary projects and general maintenance below the waterline.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

If you don’t want your boat sitting in your driveway as something the neighbors point at when they drive by, there is a cost to give it a home. On the Hudson River there is a variety of marinas, yacht clubs and even moorings. And, as you can guess, marina amenities, proximity to a downtown, transit and water-depth needs will all factor into costs. There seems to be a correlation to the common real estate saying, “location, location, location,” on the Hudson River.

The closer in proximity you are to New York City, the higher the costs. This is not only due to proximity to a major city but at its lower end, the Hudson River is a gateway to the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean and beyond, with eventual access to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). For some, this might be an important trade off that is worth the higher costs, especially if you desire to make various transient trips or winter your boat down south.  However, as a recreational sailor who seeks a windy day and a little less adventure closer to home, a little further north up the river offers more reasonable cost options.

YEARLY MARINA COSTS

Our boat calls Haverstraw Bay home, which at 3.4 miles wide, is the widest part of the river. The location is within 45 minutes of home, which is a major factor to consider when you want to check on the boat, work on maintenance projects or can only spare a day to take the boat out. But the other reason for this location is this part of the river is great for sailing. There is width and depth to sail recreationally without being far from home base.

The location is also not too far from New York City (about 45 miles) and subsequently provides access to larger bodies of water for further cruising. This type of cruising is quite common for many sailors in our marina, especially during the summer months. Sailors will spend a week or more sailing up or down the coast making various transient stops. If you want to own a floating hotel and use it as such, this is just another factor to consider when choosing a location (and boat size).

Our marina includes an onsite restaurant and a pool (for an additional membership fee), a fuel dock, space for winter storage and onsite bathrooms/showers/laundry. The access to these amenities may not be important to everyone but it’s worth mentioning when considering costs and comparing other marinas or yacht clubs that either have some or none of these amenities. I would argue that bathrooms are probably a must!

Seasonal costs and rate differences. A winter storage option is also important as putting our 10,000 pound, 30-foot boat/10-foot beam on a trailer is not a feasible option, not to mention this would require taking the mast down (another cost), then mast up in the spring (another cost). As previously mentioned before, size matters and will drive costs and your needs. Given our seasonality, separate summer and winter rates are common and cost per foot in tranches depends on boat size. The following are costs across three marinas on the lower part of the Hudson River.

Despite her age, a Catalina 30 is a very standard and popular boat and size, and for good reason. It’s just the right size to enjoy day sailing or venture out overnight and can accommodate several people.  Therefore, I would consider the annual dock and storage costs a good average benchmark. To keep our boat in a marina with various amenities and winter storage space—summer dockage fees are around $2,700 USD and winter storage in the boat yard is $1,800 USD. This totals an annual slip and winter storage costs at around $4,500 USD. If you shrink wrap your boat for the winter, that will cost you additional money, around $700. Or you can have the pleasure of crawling on the boat in 45-degree weather, securing a tarp, and hope it makes it through the winter (cheaper and it works).

INSURANCE COSTS

If you own a car or a house, you already know about insuring an asset. Boats are no different, but pricing can vary widely and has increased, regardless if you are in a hurricane prone area or not. If recent weather events over the past decade have evidenced one thing, it’s that we should never underestimate mother nature, no matter where we live. Although it’s been 12 years now—Hurricane Sandy, a category 3 hurricane, whipped up the Northeast in October of 2012. Many of us had to learn quickly how to ensure our boat was safely tied up or in a safe harbor as many boats were still in the water, not yet hauled out. Many of us never experienced a hurricane of that magnitude or thought it was even possible in the New York Metro area. Mother nature said yep, it’s possible, and insurance companies then said yep, insurance premiums need to change.

Unpredictable weather has undoubtedly changed insurance costs and many marinas now require proof of boat insurance and have minimum liability amounts. Insurance costs will depend on where you have your boat, age, type and loss history. It is interesting to note, the state I live in does not require insurance on my boat and it’s a higher cost state for insurance. However, our marina requires proof of boat insurance.

Insuring an older boat. In the Northeast, our sailing season is roughly six to seven months. For our 1978 Catalina 30, age became a factor a few years ago as we always insured our boat and our previous insurer materially increased premiums. We had to shop around to various insurance companies as sadly she is too “old” to insure for some companies…and no woman wants to hear that! Luckily, we found a reputable insurer and we pay a little over $500 a year, which is roughly two hundred dollars more than three to four years ago. I have found that insurance for an expensive boat and an old boat can both lead to higher premiums.

Marina requirements. We are also required to have a $500,000 liability limit by the marina and demonstrate proof of insurance to reserve our dock slip. If you want to keep your boat in a marina, this requirement might be a factor to consider when shopping around for insurance. Although there may be varying criticisms of the marina stipulated insurance, you can at least take some comfort knowing every boat around you (in the marina) has insurance in the case of an incident—yes, I’m talking to you newbie trying to dock your boat. However, the policy is only as good as what it includes, so this is also an important factor when shopping around. Our standard policy includes bodily injury, fuel spill, wreckage removal and optional towing assistance.

STILL WORTH IT?

Sailing is a lifestyle, a hobby, and probably one of the greatest pleasures and adventures a person can experience alone or with company. But don’t let cost be a barrier to entry or convince you from leaving all together. Yes, there are annual costs to owning a boat but owning a sailboat can be tailored to any budget if you are willing to educate yourself on options and set realistic expectations of how you will use the boat. Whether you set anchor in a 25-foot sailboat or a 50-foot yacht, we will experience the same sunset. Set sail, get out there and find your “particular harbor.”